Cleaning up storage on Xiaomi Redmi: from cache to hidden files

Clogged storage on Xiaomi Redmi is a problem that every second smartphone owner faces. Even if you recently bought a device with 128 GB or 256 GB of memory, after a few months, free space mysteriously disappears. The reason for this is not only your photos and videos, but also system debris, app cache, duplicate files and hidden data from MIUI. In this article, we will analyze the unique cleaning methods that work on all Redmi models (from the budget Redmi A1 to the flagship Redmi K60), including hidden shell functions and securely removing unnecessary files without risk to the system.

Xiaomi’s feature is aggressive data caching to speed up work, but this often leads to overflowing memory. For example, the com.miui.gallery app can take up to 5-7 GB with a thumbnail cache, and Google Play Services can take up to 2-3 GB of temporary files, we will show how to find and remove this “invisible” garbage, and also teach you how to configure automatic cleaning to prevent the problem from returning.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly eats memory?

Before you clean, you need to figure out which files take up the most space. MIUI has a built-in storage analyzer, but it often hides system data. Here's how to get the full picture:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Storage.
2. Click on the chart at the top, then select Details.
3. Scroll down to the Other Apps section – the most voracious files are hidden here.

Typical memory eaters on Redmi:

• 📸 Gallery and Google Photos: thumbnail cache, duplicates, undeleted photos from the cloud.
• 🎮 Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact Cache May Weigh 10+ GB.
• 📱 System applications: com.android.vending (Google Play), com.miui.home (Luncher).
• 📁 Downloads: old ones APK, PDF, Archives that you have long forgotten.
• 🔄 Residual files after deleting applications (folder) /data/app-lib).

If the built-in analyzer shows System Data over 5 GB, it is a sign of cache clogging or MIUI error. In this case, only manual cleaning will help (see Section 3).

2. Quick cleaning: cache, debris and temporary files

The safest way to free up 1 to 5 GB of memory is to delete the cache and temporary files, which does not affect personal data, but significantly speeds up the smartphone.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of all applications

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by size.
3. Open each large app (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, TikTok) and click Clear Cache.

Method 2: Removal of garbage through "Safety"

The Security app (shield icon) in MIUI has a built-in cleaner:

1. Open Security. → Cleanup.
2. Press Deep Clean (not fast!)
3. Check all items, especially Residual Files and Large Files.
4. Confirm the cleanup.

Important: Do not delete update files manually – this could break future MIUI updates.

App cache (not data!)

Residual files after uninstallation

Temporary download files (.tmp,.part)

Gallery miniatures (folder.thumbnails)

Logs of system errors (folder) /data/log)-->

3. Manual removal of hidden files and folders

Some files are not visible through standard Explorer, but take up gigabytes of memory. To delete them, you will need a root file manager (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer) or ADB.

What folders can be manually cleaned:

Warning: Do not delete Android/obb folders for installed games, this will lead to their collapse, and avoid folders called com.xiaomi*, they are critical for MIUI.

4. Cleaning system applications and bloatware

Xiaomi preinstalles a lot of unwanted apps (bloatware) that can’t be removed in standard ways, such as Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps or Mi Browser take up space and work in the background.

Method 1: Disconnection through settings

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an unneeded app (such as Mi Pay).
3. Click Disable (do not “Delete” – this option may not be active).
4. Confirm the shutdown. The app will disappear from the menu and stop updating.

Method 2: Removal via ADB (for advanced)

If the shutdown is not enough, you can completely remove system applications through ADB:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap, then Additional → For Developers → USB Debugging).
2. Open the command line on your PC and type in: Adb devices (your device should appear).
3. Remove the unnecessary application by command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 title.package For example, for Mi Browser: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

List of safe packets to remove (checked on MIUI 14):

• 🎵 com.miui.videoplayer — Mi Video
• 🎵 com.miui.player — Mi Music
• 🛒 com.xiaomi.mipicks — GetApps
• 🌐 com.android.browser — Mi Browser
• 📖 com.miui.notes - Notes (if not used)

💡

Before you uninstall system applications, back up your system applications via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup. This will allow you to recover deleted packets if necessary.

5. Optimization of Gallery and Media Files

Photos and videos are the main memory eaters, and even if you regularly port them to your PC, Xiaomi saves thumbnails, duplicates, and hidden copies. Here's how to reduce their volume:

Step 1: Removal of duplicates

Use the built-in MIUI function:

1. Open the gallery → tap on three points → Control.
2. Choose Duplicates or Screenshots (if they take up a lot of space).
3. Click Delete All or select unnecessary files manually.

Step 2: Compression of photos and videos

Google Photos can automatically compress media files without loss of quality.

1. Install Google Photos from the Play Market.
2. Open the settings. → Make room.
3. Select High Quality (compression up to 16 MP for photo).

Step 3: Transfer media to a memory card

If you have a microSD, transfer the photos and videos to it:

1. Open Explorer → select the DCIM or Pictures folder.
2. Tap Cut, then go to the memory card and click Insert.

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Don't keep it. RAW-One of these files takes 20 to 50 MB. Use the format. JPEG or carry RAW on PC immediately after shooting.

Setting up automatic cleaning

To avoid cleaning your phone manually, set up automatic garbage removal:

Method 1: Cleaning Planner in MIUI

1. Open Security → Cleaning → Settings (cogs).
2. Turn on Auto Cleanup and set a schedule (e.g. once a week).
3. Check Cash, Residual Files and Large Files.

Method 2: Restricting cache for applications

Some apps (like Telegram or Instagram) can cache up to 10GB of data.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application → Storage → Limit cache (if there is such an option).
3. For Telegram: Open chat settings → Data and memory → Clear Telegram cache.

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Set up a memory shortfall notification: Settings → Storage → Storage Warning → Set a threshold (e.g., 1GB of free space).

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If none of these methods worked, and the phone still shows "Memory is full" despite you having deleted all the unnecessary files, it will be hard reset, which will delete all the data, including apps, photos and settings, so be sure to back up in advance.

How to Reset Xiaomi Redmi without Data Loss (Partial Reset)

MIUI has a function to reset only settings, without deleting media files:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Resetting (not “Reset All Data!”).
3. Confirm the action. The phone will reboot, but the photos and videos will remain.

Full reset (Hard Reset)

If the phone is slowing down or the storage is clogged, it is not known what:

1. Make a backup on your PC or in Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm.
4. After restarting, restore the data from the backup.

⚠️ Note: On Redmi models with a locked bootloader (most devices), the reset will not remove the reset MIUI Or firmware, but it'll bring back all the settings to factory, and if you've been rooting before, a reset could cause a device to malfunction!

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up storage